Ancient Incan Plant Remedy Set to Replace Dental Injections

The herbal remedy for toothache, used for centuries by an indigenous tribe in the Amazon is being turned into a commercial treatment for dental pain, thanks to an anthropologist’s chance wisdom tooth problem.

A researcher from Cambridge University living among a remote Peruvian tribe suddenly experienced “excruciating pain” and was given a piece of the rare Acmella oleracea plant, which completely eliminated her symptoms.

Through a Cambridge commercialization arm, two clinical trials have been very successful in the pursuit of a commercial gel that could replace dental injections and cure tooth aches, among other applications.

The product’s development will also benefit the indigenous people through royalties invested in their education and conservation programs.